


The Future Can Change

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 07:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14764959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: Set after 4x23Barry and Iris discuss their shock after meeting their daughter from the future. Iris confesses a painful secret and a terrifying worry.





	The Future Can Change

Barry fluffed their pillows and pulled down the bed sheets. He was tired. Not so much physically, but mentally. The sudden appearance of his daughter from thirty years in the future, who told him about her mistake and the consequences it’s had on the timeline, rattled him in a way he believed he no longer could be after seeing all he’s seen.

Iris was sitting at her vanity. She took off her earring and carefully placed them back in her jewelry box, without looking at them. She was staring at herself in the mirror, looking lost behind the eyes. Undressing as if on autopilot, she slid off her bracelet and went to place it in the drawer. But, it slipped out of her hand. The clinking sound it made on the floor caused Iris to jump.

“Iris, you ok?” Barry asked.

She nodded absentmindedly in response. After putting the bracelet away, she unclasped her necklace. She turned the small heart charm over in hand several times, apparently enjoying the feel of the cool, smooth metal.

Barry watched his wife from across their bedroom. He could tell she was deep in thought as she continued to gaze into the mirror, looking clandestine. Silently, a tear leaked out of her eye.

“Iris,” Barry said again. He walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I know today was weird, even by our standards. But, we’re going to get through this together, like we always do.”

“Our daughter from the future is here.” Iris whispered.

“I know, it’s strange to see a grown woman and find out she’s our kid we haven’t had yet.”

Iris shook her head. “That’s not what’s bothering me.”

“Then tell me what is.” said Barry. He sat down next to her on vanity stool.

Iris took a deep breath before speaking. “A few months ago, I thought I might be pregnant.”

Barry’s eyes widen.

“I wasn’t!” Iris quickly clarified. “I missed my period. It was unexpected and I was shocked. I thought it could be a pregnancy, so I bought a test from the drug store. When I got home, I drank like a gallon of water and took the test. The whole time I was at the store and drinking the water, I was praying that I wasn’t pregnant. I was terrified of what that would mean.”

More tears rained down Iris’ cheeks. Barry gently wiped them away.

“It’s not that I don’t want to have kids, because I do. I want kids so bad. But, this was only a few days after……..” Iris hid her face in her hands. “After you were sentenced to life in prison.”

Barry felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Knowing that Iris not only had to be strong and lead the team as he was put behind bars, but she also had to deal with the possibility of having a child whose father would be in Iron Heights for the foreseeable future. Barry felt guilty for not being able to be there for Iris. He knew why she didn’t tell him back then, not wanting to pressure him to phase out of prison, or reveal his identity, or saddle him with the pain of being more like his father, by having a wrongful conviction keep him away from his child.

Iris continued with her story. “I took the test. It’s not an instant result, you have to leave it sitting there for two minutes before you can see if it’s positive or negative. In those two minutes, it was like my life flashed before my eyes. I was feeling confused, scared, angry, worried, and then, while pacing through the bathroom, I actually felt a little jolt of excitement.”

She smiled feebly at Barry for a second. He smiled back.

“Our situation was horrible. I was barely keeping myself from an emotional breakdown. Everything looked so bleak. I thought you’d be in prison for a long time, months, years even.” Iris cried.

Barry held her hands, assuring her that he was right there beside her.

“It made no sense for me to be excited. I was in no position to become a mother. But, in those two minutes, I found myself actually hoping for a positive test.” Iris snorted a fake laugh. “I was being so stupid.”

“No you weren’t.”

“When I saw the negative, instead of being relieved like I should been, I was disappointed.” Iris admitted.

“It’s ok to feel like that.” Barry said to comfort her.

“Looking back, obviously it’s a good thing the test was negative. In that moment though, I realized how much I want to have children with you, Barry.”

Barry smiled. He felt tears of his own threatening to fall from his eyes. Raising a family with Iris was all he’d ever wanted to do. “I want to have children with you too.”

Iris smiled too. A real smile this time. It brightened her whole face.

Barry held her by the chin and guided his lips to hers. They met with a soft, sweet kiss.

“I’d pushed the thought of kids to the back of my mind after the scare. Then today, seeing my dad and Cecile with Jenna got me daydreaming about having kids again.” Iris confessed.

“Tell me about the daydreams.”

“Well, I figured that around our first anniversary would be a good time. We’d have a few months to ourselves after all this Devoe craziness, finally have a chance to be just Barry and Iris before jumping into parenthood.”

Barry laughed. That plan didn’t work out too well.

“I was picturing the elated look on your face when I got pregnant.” Iris said dreamily. She leaned her head against Barry’s shoulder and licked her lips before saying, “You’d be bringing me lots of ice cream.”

“Something tells me your pregnant cravings would still be for mint chocolate chip.” Barry joked.

“We’d pick out colors to paint the nursery and look through baby name books.” Iris imagined aloud.

Barry closed his eyes and pictured it all.

“My dad would have to set up the crib, since we’re both terrible at assembling furniture.” Iris laughed. “You’d be speed reading all the pregnancy and birthing books ever published.”

“I think I’d still feel unprepared.” Barry mumbled.

Iris looked up at him adoringly. “When I go into labor, you’d be the best, most supportive partner. Holding my hand, helping me breath, reminding me that I’m strong enough to do it.”

She paused a moment, sharing a silent, intimate look with Barry.

“But I can’t even imagine the sheer wonder of seeing our baby for the first time.” Iris whispered as happy tears rolled down her cheeks.

The mere daydream made Barry feel warm and tingly, like his heart may burst from loving too much.

The excited light in Iris’ eyes went out. She dropped her head. “But now, our daughter from the 30 years in the future is here. Instead of getting that moment of wonder, we got a moment of confusion.” Iris lamented. “It’s like spoilers for our real life.”

“Hey,” Barry held her tight against him. He kissed the top of her head. “We’ll still feel that feeling when she’s born.”

“You think so?” Iris asked.

“Of course. This isn’t going to spoil anything. It’s just a little weird, that’s all.”

Iris nodded. “If it wasn’t so weird, I’d be really excited to get to know her.”

Barry felt a strange sense of pride. “She’s amazing isn’t she?”

“She is.” Iris agreed. “So smart and caring,” Iris caressed Barry’s face. “Just like you.”

Barry kissed her hand. “So beautiful and fearless, just like you.”

“I already feel like I love her.”

“I do too.”

“I guess it’s becoming a tradition for someone from the future to tell us our major life events before they happen.” Iris sighed.

“And I guess messing the timeline will be a family tradition too.” Barry said, part of him joking, part of him frustrated.

“That’s something else I’m worried about.” Iris whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Nora said she has to be careful what she tells us. If she says too much, the future could change and cause an even bigger mistake. You of all people know the dangers of time travel, Barry.”

“Yeah, she shouldn’t have done it in the first place. But, we have to help her now.”

“Absolutely. I’m not suggesting that we don’t. I’m just worried because what if….” Iris’ voice cracked. “What if we mess something up by accident and Nora gets erased from existence!”

A flood of tears poured down Iris’ face. She shook in Barry’s arms.

"We know the future can change. We've changed it before!" Iris sobbed.

Barry hadn’t considered that possibility yet. Alterations in the timeline were dangerous, they could result in deaths, people who existed before never existing, and people who never existed before existing. Flashpoint took baby Sarah away from John and Lyla, but it gave them a son.

“She’s our daughter. What if we screw up and she’s gone! Would we even know if we ruined the timeline when we do it? Could we have a baby one day, assume it’s her, but realize when she grew up that she’s a different daughter than the Nora we met?!”

Barry saw his reflection in the mirror go pale. He had no words to comfort Iris, because he shared her fear. Even though Nora had just come into their lives, and so unexpectedly, Barry already knew he couldn’t live without her. Helping her restore the timeline would be the most important and riskiest thing he’d ever done. Just one mistake could mean never seeing Nora again.

“Barry,” Iris cried. “Please tell me that’s not going to happen!”

Barry put his face up to Iris’. Their noses brushed against each other.

“I won’t let that happen. I promise.”


End file.
